Curling club gives student real world business experience

The NDSU Curling Club is just one example of how students can tie their classroom knowledge to practical experiences at NDSU.

For president Tyler Milner, the NDSU experience means having the ability to connect with like-minded students and pursue his passion for business in and out of classes.

“My favorite thing is building the team aspect,” Milner said of the club. “Being able to develop our club members’ skills on and off the ice speaks volumes about our experience at NDSU.”

Milner, a senior business administration major, has learned about organizational leadership in class. And at NDSU, students get to do more than just learn concepts. They are surrounded by opportunities to put them into practice in the real world.

“I deal with almost every aspect of business as the president of the curling club,” Milner said. “It’s awesome to apply everything I learn in the classroom to running the club. It really works hand-in-hand.”

The club partners with the Fargo-Moorhead Curling Club in Fargo, which provides a practice facility and group of experienced mentors. The NDSU club practices together multiple times throughout the week and participates in local leagues to prepare for competitions.

Throughout the regular season, the team competes nationally with other college teams to earn points to qualify for the national championship. As the president, Milner is in charge of scheduling, organizing and budgeting for competitions.

“The reason I came to NDSU is that I knew there would be opportunities to grow my skills and take curling to the next level,” Milner said.

North Dakota State University is distinctive as a student-focused, land-grant, research university. We are a top-ranked institution, providing affordable access to an excellent education that combines teaching and research in a rich learning environment. We educate leaders who solve national and global challenges – our graduates shape a better world.